Adventure Of A Happy Ending
by CaptainSwanObsessed
Summary: Emma was once lived as the proud princess and daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. But, a long made deal finally catches up with them, and Emma is the payment. Now Emma must run from her home in order to keep her freedom. But who says when one fairy tale ends, another can't begin.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this is my first attempt at a Captain Swan Fanfic, so bear with me.**

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Once Upon A Time…

In the kingdom of the Enchanted Forest lived a King and his Queen. Beloved by all their subjects, King David and Queen Snow White were known throughout the land for their kindness and warm-hearted nature. If there was one thing, however, that the king and queen loved more than each other or their people, it was their only child; their daughter Emma.

Emma was like her parents, in almost every way. Along with her good heart and kind nature, she was also known for her grace and fair beauty. However there was a side of Emma that no one in the kingdom knew of. The princess secretly had a sense for adventure, she dreamed of one day going out and seeing what the Enchanted Forest had to offer her. She wanted to have her own adventures, like the ones her parents had before her birth.

Despite Emma's secret desire, she loved her kingdom and her kingdom loved her. And as the time for her coming of age grew near the people rejoiced in celebration, excited to share such an important year with their cherished princess. As the day of celebration arrived, Emma could see her parents gleaming with pride.

"Are you ready, Emma?" Her mother called into her bed chambers, as Emma's chamber maids did the final touches on her dress and hair.

"I'm ready" Emma answered her mother as the maid tied the back of her dress.

As she turned around towards her, Snow took a moment to gaze upon her daughter. She was a state of awe. Since the moment Emma was born, she was the light of her mother's life, very second of every day was spent making their kingdom safe and happy, for not only the people but especially for her daughter. Now, as they celebrate this joyest day, the queen can't help but feel grateful for all the days she and David have had with Emma and all the days that lead to her.

"Mom?" Emma asked her mother, dragging her from her thoughts  
"You look beautiful" Snow said as she took her daughters hands and gazed upon her astounding beauty, trying hard to control her emotions.  
"Thank you mom" Emma replied

Just then her father walked in.

"Aw, there you two are" David announced as he entered the room. "I've been looking all over for you."

After giving his wife a kiss on the cheek, he took a moment to take a good look at his beloved daughter.

"Wow Emma, you look…amazing" Her father complimented, almost a loss for words.

"Thanks dad" Emma accepted.

"So, shall we announce ourselves?" David asked the ladies and they both agreed

With that, both of Emma's parents escorted her to the main ballroom. They were greeted with large roll wind of cheers and applause, for everyone around from far and wide from the kingdom, as well as varies royals from allied kingdoms came to rejoice with happiness and congratulatory. Throughout the night Emma was greeted and hugged by almost everyone, she laughed at every joke that was told to her and she danced with every eligible gentleman that approached her. Although Emma was gracious to her parents for the party, and enjoyed herself, she couldn't help but feel a little thankful when it was finally over. Emma was never one for such ostentatious festivities. But she decided to grin and bear it for tonight.

Emma had a plan. She decided that after the celebration of her coming of age, she would finally confront her parents and ask for their permission to tag along with their knights and travel with them for a month across the Enchanted Forest. She knew it was long shot, since her parents had never allowed her to be as far as a stone throw from them since she was able to walk. Once the last of the guest had departed for the night the King and Queen requested Emma's presence in the library. Emma couldn't help but feel tremor of glee, believing she would finally have a moment to discuss with her parents her desire to leave the kingdom. She all but skipped her way to her parents, holding a cheek-to-cheek smile on her face as she opened the door to the library, but the sudden look upon her parents' face caused that smile to fall fast.

She had never seen them with such sorrow on their face, making the glee that she was feeling a moment ago, to be replaced with fear and worry. Her mother was sitting down, tears immediately running down her sorrowed face as Emma came into view. David stood next to her, trying to comfort his clearly distraught face, the same look of anguish and dismal mirroring his face.  
"What happened?" Emma said.

Her parents stayed in silence, not even so much as a glance towards their daughter, their eyes staying focused on one another for a goof long moment.

"Emma," Her father finally spoke, "please have a seat for a moment. There is something we need to tell you"

With hesitation, Emma took a seat opposite for David and Snow.

"What we're about to tell you, is not something we're proud to admit to" Snow muttered through tears.

"What is it?" Emma asked, her voice full of anxiety.

"I hadn't missed anything yet, have I?" A voice had asked from behind them, along with malicious laughter.

The family turned to see who had intruded on their private family conversation and what stood before them, frighten all three of them to their very bones. It was none other than Rumpelstiltskin, also known as "The Dark One". He was the darkest and most powerful sorcerer in all the realms. Although known for his magic, he was known for his cruel and heartless ways. The Dark One never did anything for anyone without benefiting himself as well.

Emma was shocked and horrified at the creature that had magically appeared in her home. Seeing Rumple standing before her only added to the worry and fear she had.

"Please" Emma heard her mother's voice plead

"We'll do anything else, but please, not this", her father added in.

Rumple made a whimsical giggle at their Majesties begging. "I told you all this nineteen years ago dearies, when you first came to me. All magic, comes at a price", he responded, repeating the warning he has said countless times to anyone who has come to see him.

"What is he talking about?" Emma questioned, turning to her parents for an explanation.

"Oh", Rumple sounded "I take you haven't told the dear princess the happy news". Emma continued to look for her parents for clarification, but they still remained silent as church mice. After a few more seconds, David finally spoke up.

"You're mother and I wanted a baby, more than anything." He told Emma, his eyes never meeting hers.

But we were having trouble conceiving" Snow added.

"We were so desperate for a child, we would have done anything" David continued. "That's…when we went to see Rumpelstiltskin". Emma turned her head towards the Dark One and he reciprocated with a light wave. "He said he could do this for us, but that it would cost us."

"That's why we kept you so close to us for all these years". Snow explained to her daughter, "Out of fear that you may be taken away from us".

Emma was stunned silent, not believing what she was hearing. "So we agreed, and a month later, we found out we were expecting you" David said, a sense of joy in his eyes as called back to the day he found out he was going to be a father. But soon he realized that that time was over.

"Please understand Emma", David begged his daughter. "At the time, we wanted a child so badly that we were willing to do anything. But now, knowing what we have to do, we never would have gone to him. Please know that"

"What do you mean?" Emma asked

David seemed to find it difficult to get the words out for what he was about to admit. "A few weeks ago, Rumple came to see us. Telling us, it was time for us to make our payment".

"What kind of payment?" Emma asked, no one responded so she asked again. "Mom? Dad? What. Kind. Of. Payment?" She asked emphasizing her question.

"I'll take it from here" Rumple said, coming up behind Emma, addressing her parents. "You see my dear," Rumple carried on, speaking to Emma this time as he walked around her, almost circling her, like predator for his prey. "I've always lived for one thing in my life, and that is my son". He said, continuing to circle.

It was well known throughout the forest that before the Dark One was "The Dark One" he lived the life of simple peasant, raising his only child on his own. His son, Baelfire, was nothing like his father, he was kind, sweet and extremely shy. Emma could recall the times she went into town with her parents as child and would spot Baelfire, always off in the corner reading to himself or just staring at the other vendors that walked by. But no matter what Baelfire did, he always seemed to be alone. No other children would interact with Baelfire, out of fear from his father.

"All I've ever wanted for my son is for him to be happy" Rumple continued, pulling Emma from her memories. "And for a while, I wasn't sure what that was. Until recently…" He drew out, seizing his incisive walking, stopping right in front of Emma.

"You see dearie, my son came to me a while ago, for the first time in his life, asking me if I could give him something. Something he's wanted for a long time."

Emma was afraid of where this was leading to. "What he wants, my dear….is you" Rumple revealed pointing his scaly finger in Emma's direction. She was suddenly frozen in shock.

"He told me, since he was child; he would wait down at the market place all day just to see you come in with your parents. He has been in love with you since then" Rumple explained. "So as your coming of age drew closer, Baelfire finally came to me, telling me that all he's ever wanted in life is your hand".

"That's the payment" Emma said, sounding more like a realization then a question. "I'm the payment", looking at her parents again for comfort or some type of reply, but once more, they were rendered silent.

"That's right dearie" Rumple answered her, cheerfully. "I visited your parents, to tell them it was payment time. So, tomorrow afternoon you and my son will be married at the northern church".  
At that moment, time froze for Emma. She couldn't believe what was being told her. Not only did she realize she was being used as payment, but she was being forced to marry someone whom she hardly knew.

"I can see you need a moment to accept this. I give you some time" Rumple said, with all too pleased smirk on his face as he stepped away from the three. "See you at the church", and with that, Rumpelstiltskin disappeared in cloud of purple smoke, making his exit.

For a long while the family just stood in the room, in complete silence, refusing to make eye contact with one another, letting what just transpired register for them. After what seemed to be a lifetime, Emma finally looked up in her parents' direction.

"Please", she begged them. "Please tell me there something you can do. Please don't tell me I have to marry him"

A new wave of tears rolled down Snow face as she sought comfort in her husband. Wishing with all her might, that there was something, anything to prevent this from happening to her daughter.

"We've tried Emma, believe me, we've tried" Snow said, through her tears of anguish and heartache.

"We have offered everything we owned" David supplemented. "Money, land, even our thrones. But, he wants none of it."

"There has to be something we can do." Emma hysterically said, "You can't make me marry him, I won't do it. I won't!" She all but yelled.

The king and queen tried to embrace their daughter in a reassuring hug, but she refused. Emma repelled against her parents' touch and ran from the library. She ran until she reached her bed chambers, and dismissed her maids for the night, not wanting to see or speak to anyone. Emma routinely got ready for bed as her parents excessive pounding on her door and calling out her name continued behind her. They could pound her door until their arms grew tired and their voices gave out, Emma thought, she was not going to answer them. Eventually her parents gave up trying and left their child in peace to finally get some sleep.

Sleep, however, was luxury that Emma did not receive. As the night continued on, the silence of the darkness contrasted with the never ending racket in her head. Emma's mind seemed to replay the events the conspired just a few hours ago, down the hall. She was just expected to give her hand to man, that not only did not love, but hardly even knew. Although, arranged marriages were done on occasion, Emma never imagined that she would have to go through one herself.

"I won't ", She said out loud to herself.

Emma knew what she had to do, and she knew had to act before the dawn broke. Quickly grabbing the quilt off her bed, Emma fashioned the down into a bindle, filling it with as much necessities as she could carry. She then silent crept into the kitchen to grab fruit, small amounts of bread and a few pastries, just enough to last her a few days, and a water canteen from her father's hunting trunk. Emma then made her way into the stables, carrying with her, her supplies and satchel, to saddled up her favorite childhood horse, whom she named Lacey, grabbed a lantern and the two rode of just before the dawn blue light started the appear. The kingdom awoke as the morning sun rose through the peaks of Forest trees, unaware that their beloved princess was gone.

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 **Let me know what you guys think. I'll start working on the next chapter in a few days.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, me again. Here's the second chapter of my story. I hope you all like it, and if you do or think there is something I need to work on, let me know I'd love to hear from my readers.**

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Two days had passed since Emma had run from her kingdom and with each passing hour the danger of her being found and being sent back to her parents became more and more real. In the short time since her escape, Emma saw the number of her parents' knights almost triple throughout the forest. For the most part, she had been successful at hiding from them, disguising herself underneath a cloak she had packed with her, keeping the hood up and her head down whenever she was out during the daylight. Still, out of fear that she might be identified, Emma had abandoned her horse a few miles outside the castle and had taken to hiding in high trees and inside caves. It was about a half day's journey to reach the next kingdom, Emma thought that if she could avoid the knights long enough to reach it, she could lay low inside the walls until her parents' efforts to find her dwindled

As twilight began to make its appearance, Emma decided to make camp and finish the rest of her travel in the morning. Taking shelter against a large slanted rock, she built a small fire and was able scrounge up a few berries and a little water from a neighboring brook, having finished the last of her food the previous afternoon. As the darkness blanketed the woods around her, the runaway princess curled up close to the small fire, letting the flames rage on as she slowly drifted to sleep. As she fell deeper into unconsciousness, Emma was suddenly pulled from her dreams as the sound of loud trotting hooves galloping along rustled leaves crept up on her. Along with the hooves came the sound of many voices, shouting and ordering at one another.

"Split Up!" one of the voices called out.

"We'll check around here, and the rest of you continue forward near the trail," another called out.

Emma knew these were her parents' knights, coming to capture her and take her back home. Panic swept through her quickly and, emptying her canteen from the water she found earlier, Emma put out the fire, hiding from the passing soldiers. She remained still and quite, listening intently, trying to figure which direction the knights were coming from. After a while, Emma could no longer hear the sounds of the knights, nor could she hear the sound of their horses. Believing it was safe; Emma wrapped herself in the cloak, running diagonally into the woods, trying to move as swiftly and silently as she could without alerting any nearby knights.

The princess continued to run farther and farther into the woods, not stopping until she could no longer feel her legs and her breath grew hoarsely. Taking a moment to rest, Emma looked around her to try and evaluate her surroundings. Wherever she was, she thought, she had to be a good distance away from any knights. So it came as quite a shock to Emma, when she started walking again and was halted by the light of flaming torch illuminating a figure dressed in armor standing only a few long strides from her.

"Here you are," the figure said. "Just where do you think you're going princess?"

At a last ditch effort to avoid capture, Emma tried to hide herself deeper into the cloak. "I don't know what you're talking to about," she said in a muffled tone, trying to bury her face in the cloak.

"Oh, dear princess, don't try and play me for a fool. I can spot the royal blood from a mile away. Now, again I ask, just where do you think you're going?" the knight asked again. .

"I don't know. Somewhere that's far away from you," the princess answered with as much sass as she could manage  
Emma then heard a soft chuckle come from knight as he removed his helmet to show himself. Behind that silver mold of metal revealed a man with black onyx hair and a well-kept goatee to match, bright green eyes and smug grin that never left his face. Emma could imagine, around the kingdom, that this clearly smug and full of himself soldier would use his charm and good looks to persuade the interest of every young maiden that came his way.

"Well, it won't work on me," she thought.

"Very funny," the knight finally commented "Now come, let me escort you back to your castle, princess," he said as he stepped towards her.

"No!" Emma exclaimed. "I am not going back there."

"Princess, please, I would never dream of putting my hands on a royal. Unless you're willing me to," the knight replied, with clear implication dripping from his words.

"I don't think that's why my parent's sent you for me," she said, not falling for the knights advances.

"Quite right. Now, please, your highness, we have to get you back."

Emma knew there was no use in trying to run right now, with it being so dark out and her legs being as tired as they were, she knew that even with all that armor, the knight would catch up to her. The two started walking, neither speaking for a while.

"My horse is just little bit further ahead," the knight finally piped up.

Soon, Emma acknowledged, her running would prove to be fatal. Unless she could find a way to get away from the knights view. As the vision of the knight's horse came into view, Emma could see the time for her escape slipping away. Then she saw her possible hope, close by there seemed to be a fallen tree, and lying beside it looked to be a sizable branch. She saw her chance and decided to take it. As she and the knight approached the broken tree, allowed her body to fall to the ground, posing as a simple trip.

"Are you alright?" the soldier asked.

While Emma spent her time in the dirt, she was able to grab hold of the splinted branch and conceal under the skirt of her gown. And as they both reached the knight's horse, she decided to take her opportunity.

"Excuse me, knight," Emma asked kindly, "but I am extremely parched. Could I possibly have a drink from your canteen?"

"Aye, my lady,"

As the knight's attention was distracted for a moment, Emma quickly grabbed the branch from under her skirt, and with one abrupt swing, she was able hit the knight square in the face, causing him fall immediately to the earth.

While the knight was rendered inert, Emma took advantage of the situation and stripped him of his supplies. The princess was about to grab for his sword, when she saw that he was coming to. So she quickly climbed on top of the knight's onyx black steed and quickly rode off into the night.

Even with a throbbing head and blurred vision, the much disoriented knight stumbled his way upright to see the princess sprint away on his horse.

"You can't hide from me!" the knight called out towards Emma. "Wherever you are, I will find you!"

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 **I know this chapter is a lot shorter then my last one, hopefully the next one will be longer, I'll post the third one in the next week or so. If work and school permit me. I hope you guys enjoyed it.**


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